Media players that reside on a client computer and allow a user to download and experience a variety of dynamic content are known in the art. For example, users can download media files associated with music and listen to the music via their media player. Systems and methods are known in the art that enable media content to be packaged and delivered, via a network, in a manner that can enhance the user experience by providing a user with not only media content, but additional content that adds value to the media content.
Network based communication services that track a plurality of online co-user accounts and provide communication pathways to interconnect two or more such online co-user accounts are also well known. Examples of such network based communication services include electronic mail (“email”) and online messaging services such as instant message services. Such communication services can maintain lists of user accounts, and even track current status information about the user accounts, such as whether the accounts are active (i.e., the user is currently online).
Online messaging services, for example, typically provide and maintain user definable online co-user lists, which are more commonly referred to as “contacts” lists. A number of companies operate host systems that include online message services that alert users when other pre-specified co-users (i.e., other users of the online message service that have been previously specified by the user as a contact) are online (i.e., concurrently accessing the online messaging service). Such online co-users can typically use the online messaging service to send “instant messages” to one another via a communication path that the online messaging service provides.
There are certain situations in which it would be desirable for a plurality of online co-users to share a dynamic content experience. That is, the online co-users would benefit from being able to experience the same dynamic content at the same time. For example, two online co-users located at different computers in different parts of the world might want to listen to a song, or watch a video clip together. Each of the users would benefit from being able to share the other's experience, such that, when either user plays a song, for example, the media player at the other computer would play the same song automatically. Hence, there is a need in the art for systems and methods for enabling a plurality of co-users to establish and share a common dynamic content experience.